Gas-producer.



No. 659,472. Patented Oct. 9, I900. S. A. FRASER.

GAS PRODUCER.

'(Appfication filed Sept. 26, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 ShaevtsSheet l.

Attorney.

m: NORRls PCTERS cu, PHOTWLITHQ. WASHINGTON, n cy No. 659,472. Patented Oct Q, I900.-

s. A. FRASER.

GAS PRODUCER.

(Application filed Sept. 26, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shim 2.

A 4 Jkmm Attorney.

m: nonms PETERS co. PHOTO-LITKO" WASHYNGYON. a. c.

Nirn TATES *ATENT OFFICE.

SIMON A. FRASER, OF NEW GLASGOW, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BENJAMIN TALBOT, OF PENGOYD, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAS-PRODUCER.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,472, dated October 9, 1900.

Application filed September 26, 1899. Serial No. 731,713. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMON A. FRASER,a resident of New Glasgow, in the Province of Nova Scotia, Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gas-Producers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to im-- proved mechanisms for feeding, distributing, and stirring the coal or other fuel employed in the operation of a gas-producer, by means of which a uniform supply and regular distribution of the fuel is obtained and the fuel is automatically or wholly mechanically stirred throughout the entire hot zone bya device wholly within the producer. The formation of cakes and clinkers is effectually prevented and a better distribution of air, accompanied by a more effectual combustion of the fuel, is obtained. The feeding, distributing, and stirring mechanisms operate within a closed and stationary casing or shell, by which leakage is reduced to a minimum. The power required for stirring the fuel is much less than where the body or a part of the casing is made to revolve in order to operate pokers extending therethrough to agitate the fuel. The size of the producer is not limited, as is the case where exteriorly-operated pokers are employed. The hardship and danger of manual poking may be wholly avoided. A simple and effective method of operating the stirring mechanism and cooling the parts thereof is provided, and generally the sim- 5 plicity, efficiency, and economy of gas production is increased. These improved results are attained by the mechanism, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a gas-producer embodying my invention. Fig. 2is a horizontal sectional view of a part thereof taken on the line a a. of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of a detail 5 taken on the line b b of Fig. 1.

The foundation 1 supports the hearth 2 and the struts 3, which sustain the cylindrical producer-body 4:, having the ash-pit 5 depending therefrom. Preferably a channel 6 5o rests upon the producer-body and sustains the cylindrical producer-neck 7, of smaller diameter than the body. Capped holes 8 in the channel permit the insertion of pokers into the body or hot zone of the producer when desired. The channel is Tfilled with circulating water for cooling purposes.

A cap 9 covers the producer-neck and supports a drum or hopper 10, having a chute l1 for supplying fuel to the drum and a manhole 12 for access thereto. Capped pokeholes 20 may be formed in the cap 9, through which access may be had to the interior when desired.

In the bottom of the drum 10 is a revoluble disk 13, having one or more apertures 14 therein which register successively with the apertures 15 in the cap 9. A hub or ring 16 is journaled in the cap and carries a spreader 17, whichmay be of the form of an irregular cone-frustum. The disk 13 and the ring 16 are held by a feather or spline 18 to the hollow shaft 19, so that the shaft may run freely through the disk and ring, but revolve them. The shaft 19, extending down ward, is fixed to a hollow hub 21, which rests upon a bearing 22, formed in the'dome 23, a hollow shank 24 extending through the dome and being journaled therein. The hub 21 has the hollow arms or stirrers 25 extending therefrom, which when raised and lowered and revolved 8o reach all parts of fuel contained within the body of the producer, the arms being preferably soarranged that their respective paths are through different zones and at different elevations.

The dome 23 is supported by the spools or struts 26 upon the vertical air-supply pipe 27, which is secured to the foundation 1, apertures 23 and 28 being provided for the admission and dispersion of air within the pro- 0 ducer-body.

The shaft 19 and the stirrers 25 may be raised, lowered, and revolved, and the circulation of the water may be efiected by any suitable means. As a simple means of rais- 5 ing and lowering the stirrers the shaft 19 is extended upward through a cylinder 30 and fixed to a piston 31 therein, the cylinder being supported by the frame 3'. The piston is operated by hydraulic pressure, and the stirrers roo are thus carried to any elevation desired within the body of the producer. To revolve the stirrers, the shaft 19 is turned by a gear-wheel 32, the wheel being held to the shaft by the spline 33, so that the shaft may run through the wheel and be elevated without elevating the wheel. The gear-wheel is driven from a worm-wheel 3a through the reducing-gears 35 and 35, fixed upon the journaled shaft 36, and the reducing-gears 37 and 37, which are fixed together, the drivingears being supported on the frame 3'.

To cool the stirring apparatus, a tube 39 extends downward through the hollow shaft 19 and the hub 21 to a point near the bottom of the hollow shank 24 and also to points near the ends of the stirrers 25. Water admitted through the top of the tube passes downward into the shank, circulates through the stirrers 25, and rises through the shaft 19, thence flowing into the basin 40, from which it is carried off. It will now appear that a uniform supply of fuel may be fed from the hopper and regularly distributed by the revolving disk and spreader to the body of fuel in process of combustion and that the entire body in process of combustion can be uniformly and thoroughly agitated by the stirrers, which may be gradually lifted to the upper level of the hot zone and allowed to gradually sink by gravity or forced by power to the lower level as they revolve. The formation of clinkers and cakes is thus prevented and the body of the fuel is kept in acondition which permits the ready and uniform circulation of air therethrough, by which combustion is facili tated and the efficiency of the producer increased. As the operations can be carried on wholly within the casing of the producer mechanically, a rigid and tight casing can be employed, by which leakage is prevented, the power required for agitating the fuel is reduced, exhausting and dangerous manual labor is avoided, and the size of the producer is not limited, as where manual poking is re.- quired or the body of the producer must be moved in order to agitate the fuel.

It will be understood that the number of arms of the stirring apparatus may be increased, so as to agitate the entire body of fuel in the hot zone at the same time, thus avoiding the use of mechanism for efieoting the vertical movement of the arms, and that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principle of my invention.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a gas-producer, a substantially cylindrical producer-body or combustion-chamber, in combination with a revoluble stirrer having arms which revolve at different elevations in said combustion-chamber, and mechanism for revolving said stirrer when said arms are at (different elevations, substantially as speci- 2. In a gas-producer, a producer-body or combustion-chamber, in combination with a revoluble stirrer having arms which simultaneously revolve through different zones in said combustion-chamber, and mechanism for revolving said stirrer, substantially as specified.

3. In a gas-producer, a closed cylindrical producer-body or combustion-chamber, a longitudinally-movable shaft journaled therein, one or more arms fixed on said shaft to act throughout said combustion-chamber, mechanism for moving said shaft longitudinally,

and mechanism for revolving said shaft wheu said arms are at different elevations, substantially as specified.

4. In a gas-producer, a substantially-cylindrical producer-body or combustionchamber, in combination with a bearing, a shaft supported by and movable through said bearing, a hub for limiting the movement of said shaft through said bearing, one or more arms fixed on said shaft to act throughout said combustion-chamber, and mechanism for revolving said shaft when said arm or arms are at different elevations, substantially as specified.

5. In combination with a gas-producer body, a supply-pipe, a dome therefor, a bearing supported by said dome, a shaft journaled in said bearing and longitudinally movable therethrough, and one or more arms fixed on said shaft, substantially as specified.

6. In a gas-producer, a cap having one or more apertures therein, a drum above said cap, a revoluble disk at the bottom of' said drum having one or more apertures therein, said disk aperture or apertures registering with said cap aperture or apertures, and a shaft revolubly fixed to said disk to drive the same, substantially as specified.

7. In a gas-producer, a journaled hub, a spreader fixed to said hub, a revoluble shaft longitudinally movable through said hub and connected therewith to revolve said spreader, substantially as specified.

8. In a gas-producer, a cap more apertures therein, a drum above said cap, a revoluble disk in the bottomof said drum having one or more apertures therein adapted to register successively with said cap aperture or apertures, a revoluble spreader, and a shaft connected with said disk and spreader to revolve the same, substantially as specified.

9. In a gas-producer, a journaled shaft, one or more arms fixed to said shaft, a cap having one or more apertures therein, a revoluble disk having one or more apertures therein to register with said cap aperture or apertures, said disk being driven by said journaled shaft, substantially as specified.

10. In a gas-producer, a journaled shaft, one or more arms fixed to said shaft, mechanism for revolving said shaft, a cap having one or more apertures therein, a revoluble disk having one or more apertures adapted to register with said cap. aperture or aperhaving one or tures, and mechanism for moving said shaft longitudinally, substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

11. In a gas-producer, a journaled. shaft, one or more arms fixed to said shaft, a driving-wheel through which said shaft is movable and to which it is keyed, and a cylinder and piston for moving said shaft longitudinally, substantially as specified.

12. In a gasproducer, a journaled hollow shaft, one or more hollow arms fixed to said shaft, a driving-wheel through which said shaft is free to move and to which it is keyed, a cylinder through which said shaft reciprocates, and a piston for reciprocating said shaft, substantially as specified.

13. In a gas-producer, a journaled hollow shaft, one or more hollow arms fixed to said shaft, a gear-wheel through which said shaft is free to move and to which it is keyed, a train of gearing for driving said gear-wheel, a cylinder through which said shaft reciprocates, a piston for reciprocating said shaft, a

tube for supplyingcooling fluid to said shaft and arms, and a basin for receiving the overflow, substantially as specified.

14. In a gas-producer, a stationary body, a revoluble and longitudinally-movable shaft, one or more arms fixed to said shaft, a cap having one or more apertures therein, a drum above said cap, a revoluble disk having one or more apertures therein which register with said aperture or aperturesin said cap, a driving-wheel on said shaft for rotating the same, and a piston and cylinder for moving said shaft longitudinally, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 20th day of September, A. D. 1899.

SIMON A.- FRASER.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. HERRIOK, THOMAS S. GATES. 

